Crossing



March 8, 1932. T. H. M. CRAMPTON 1,849,048

CROSSING Filed June 2l. 1928 Patented Mar.` 8, 1932 f UNITED; STATES PATENT Q IIIEODORE II. MQCRAMPTONQO cHIcAGo, ILLINOIS, AssIGNon, BY MEsNE AssIGN- MENTS, To man PHILIP CAREY MANUFACTURING CQMPANLA connonA'rIoNoF Appunti@ mea June 21,

This invention relate's'to crossings for use over rails, streams, ditches, and the like, andaims to provide anovel and improvedcomposite paving over a subst-ructure. :5 The invention consists in the features,com

vbinations and arrangementshereinafter Vdescribed and claimed, tor carrying out the above stated objectsand such Vother objects as will hereinafter appear. i Y. Generally described, the invention comprises a crossing having a substructureover which a super composite structure. is laid. This superstructure comprises a layer of ldeckingplanks secured to the substructure and overlaid with a layer otcomposition surfacing strips. The superstructure is coextensive in area with'that of the substructure vto unite all the elements'into a rigid unit and prevent differential Vmovements therebe- '2 tween. .'Withinthe structure, certain sectionsmay be conveniently formed to be readily removable `from the. structure, thereby giving access beneath the substructure.

v .In the accompanying. drawings Figure'l illustrates a sectionalview of a railwaycrossing'embodying my invention; and Figure 2 isa perspective view of the-crossing.V

'Y Referring to the drawings in which I have j illustrated a `railway crossing to typify :my invention, numeral 2 designates conventional railway ties of a roadbed on whichv rails 3' I Y aresupportedj and spiked in place. Over the ties between and beyond the rails', deck planks 4 are laid parallelwith the rails, and then surtacedfwith composition blocks 5, ''and 7. Strips of rail filler 8 and9 ymaybe -advantageously interposed adjacent the rails on the inner and outer sides respectively to insulate' them and prevent access Aof water beneath the structure. These fillers are made of fibrated bituminous material molded into strips which are contoured to snugly abut the rail and the adjacent edges of the crossing structure. i

The novel and .improved construction aims to perfect a structure in which diifer'ential movement between rthe elementscoinposing the. structure is eliminated by having ther stressesvdistributed throughout .the unit rath- 59 .er'than confined to local areas therein, theresubjected. f

spaced therefrom the somewhat similar Q cnossINe 192s. serai No. 287,209L

by causing the structure to yield as a'whole to. any and all stresses, tol which it maybe The decking strips arethick wooden planks l laid in abutting relation except where separated by the rail fillers andv other eXpansible joints whichv may be spaced `at intervals.

These are covered by the surfacing-'strips 'I Y formed of ibrated bituminous material, the

liber material therein being of a linearv structure to securely bond the bituminous binder. That part of 'the construction between the rails is built up with side'sections 10 and 1l separated from a central section 12 by expansion joints 13, thereby providing separate units which are readily removableA to 'give access beneath the rails Vfor tamping. There are no .overlapping joints between the center sections, and the expansionjoint Vis of a width to extend from the tiesto the surface planefof the surfacing blocks ,so as to make a straight line of separation between the edges when the side sections are removed. The side sections 10 and llareseparated from the rails bythe rail filler strips 8y which space the sideunits of the crossing construction from the rail. yThat part ofthe cross'- ing structure on the outside ofl the [rails is contoured strip 9. K y

The super structurel comprises; a compact unified covering layer over the ties and' prevents allfingress of water therebeneath. Y

Obviously the'invention is not limited to methodof construct-ina same.' all ot-which may be variously modified. Moreover` itis not indispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointly as certain of them may be employed to advantage in variousdifferent combinations and sub-combinations.

Having described mv invention, I claim:

l. A railwaycrossing construction comprisine decking planks laid between'and beyond the rails to `bridge the ties throughout strips inserted abutting the' rails. and a '1 e' movable unit of the construction adjacent the m0 filling strips.

the details ofthe illustrated structure and 2. A railway crossing construction comprising decking planks laid between andbeyond the rails to bridge the ties throughouttheir entire lengths, surfacing composition strips covering the decking planks, filling `strips abutting the rails, removable units of the construction adjacent the filling strips, and expansion strips separating the removable units from the adjoining structure.

3..A railway crossing construction comprising deckingplanks laid over the ties, surfacing strips on and in contact withthe decking planks, and a section of this construction in proximity to the rail adapted to be removed as a unit to give access beneath the rail.

4. A. railway crossing construction comprising decking planks laid over the ties, surfacing stripsY ont-he decking planks, sections of this construction adjacent each rail adaptedto be removed as a unit, and an eis:- pansion strip interposed between the removable sections.

5., A railway crossing construction comprising decking planks laid over a series of ties, surfacing strips on and in Contact with the decking planks, sections of this construction adapted to be removed as a unit, and insulating strips interposed` between the rails and the removable units.

6. A railway crossing construction comprising decking planks laid over a series of ties, surfacing on the decking planks, sectionsof this constructionadjacent the rail being; adapted to be removed as a unit, and composition strips interposedto separate the removable` units from other parts of the structure.

7. A railway crossing construction comprising decking planks laid over a series of ties in abutting relation, composition strips laid crosswisetothe decking planks, and insulating strips interposed inthe crossing structure on both sides-of the rails.

8. A railway crossing structure comprising decking planks laid between and beyond the rails to bridge a series of ties throughout their entire length, composition strips surfacing the decking planks, insulating strips interposediin -tlie structure on both sides of the ra.ils,and` expansion strips inserted at intervals to provide removable units inthe structure. 1 Y

9; A` crossing structure comprising a' substructure, decking planks secured to said substructure, and fibrated bituminous strips surfacing the de'cking,'said decking planks being spaced at intervals with expansion strips.

,10. A crossing structure comprising al substructure, decking planks secured tov said substructure, and libratedl bituminous strips surfacing the decking planks, some of said surfacing strips being laid 'transversely to the others. Y

11. A crossing structure comprising a subat all points for preventing abrupt differen- 'tial movement in the crossing structure.

. 13. vAcrossingL structure comprising a substructure and a superstructure, said superstructure being supported on the substructure and embodying in its construction a removable unit having a substantially rigid base faced with a ibrated bituminous surfacing strip. f

14. A crossing structure comprising a substructure and a superstructure, saidsuperstructure being supported on the substructure and embodying in its construction a removable unit having a wooden lbase and a fibrated bituminous surfacing strip. V

15. A railway crossing comprising a substructure and a superstructure, saidv superstructure being supported on the substructure and? embodying in its construction a rel movable vunit having a substantially rigid base and a composition. plastic surfacingl plank directly attached together.

16.y A railway crossing comprising a' substructure and a. superstructure, said superstructure `being supported on `the substructure and embodying lin its construction a removable unit having a substantially rigid base and Va `bituminous surfacing plank coeXtensive throughout in width with said base. i'

17;' A crossingV structure comprising a substructure, wooden' decking planks secured to said sub-structure for underlying the entire areato be surfaced,and librated bituminous strips applied directly to the decking planks.

18. Acrossing structure comprising a substructure, surfacing strips of fibratedbituminous material, and wooden decking planks interposed between the surfacing strips and sub-structure to support directly'the strips at all points for preventing abrupt differential movement in the crossing structure.

19. A pavement unit adapted to'be readily inserted in and removed from the pavement,

consisting of a plurality of members ar- A* ranged and fiXedly secured parallel to each other, independenttrafflc surface mounted upon and iiXedly secured to saidv members.

20. A removable pavement unit consisting of a rigid supporting base,-a traffic surface "d fixedly secured thereto containing a fibrous and a bituminous material.

21. A pavement unit consisting of a rigid supporting base, a traffic surface iiXedly secured thereto and removable therewith,I said traflic surface containing a homogeneous mixture of bituminous and iibrous materials v formed into 'a relatively rigid yet plastic compact slab. i I 22. A pavement unit consisting of a rigid supportingl base, a traflic surface ixedly secured thereto, said traiiic surface containing a homogeneous mixture of bituminous and fibrous and granular mineral materials formed into a relatively rigid yet plastic compact slab. Y 23. A pavement unit consisting of arigid supporting member, a traiiic surface ixedly secured'thereto, said traffic surface containing a homogeneous mixture of bituminous and fibrous materials formed into a relatively rigid yet plastic compact slab coexten'sive in sizevwith the said member.

24. In a pavement, a rail, ties supporting y said rail, a railiiller in contact With said rail, a pavement mat adjacent to said rail filler, said paving mat composed of a rigid supporting member adapted to support said mat on a plurality of said ties and a trai'c surface attached to said supporting member, said traiic surface containing a bituminous and brous material, compacted to form aV relatively rigid, yet plastic slab.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 19th day of June,"1928.

THEODORE H. M. CRAMPTON. 

